


Dear Shiro,

by SaltiSnacks



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Realities, Black Tried, Cussing, Cussing Voltron Style, Dialogue Heavy, Endgame Sheith, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fix-It of Sorts, Heartbreak, Hinted Seperation, Implied Death, Implied Sexual Content, Letters, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mischievous Atlas, Misunderstandings, Nightmares, Not Beta Read, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shiro (Voltron) in the Astral Plane, The other paladins are referenced, Voltron: Legendary Defender Season/Series 08 Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17453765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltiSnacks/pseuds/SaltiSnacks
Summary: Someone [Man] finally comes to terms with what he never really had and writes a letter before events begin to unfold.





	1. Let You Go

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not tagging him. There are people that are actually _happy_ with season 8, so I don't want to ruin that.  
>  
> 
> This is also on Twitter. I'm hoping the thread continues, but if not, it's okay for this to end here.

Two weeks.

It was almost laughable if the pain didn’t cut so deep. The last two years had been almost like a dream, only to turn into a nightmare as he watched everything slowly fall apart. 

But, he would not place blame. 

He should have seen this coming the first time he had woken up with a holler, choking on a name that wasn’t his. The strangled sobs of that name during his restless sleep.

The soft begging, “ _Don’t leave me_.” that had been released with slow tears, arm reaching into the darkness of the room. Fingers opening and shutting with each petition into the void.

He should have called it off the next morning. Hindsight is 20/20, they say. 

He wished he had listened to his sister sooner when he had approached her about the nightmares. She had looked at him with almost pity, “Dreams always speak the hidden truth. You’re going to get hurt. Let him go.” 

He stepped between something that was too strong to be denied. A partnership that had overcome even death. 

How foolish he was to think this would work.

He wiped at the tears on his face. Though he tried to deny it, he didn't own the full heart or soul of the person already starting to shake and cry in their bedroom. That name already spilling from teeth-bit lips.

“Keith, answer me! Please!  _Keith!_ "

He had seen the looks sent his way when they did occasionally meet up. The yearning. 

He knew the story. He knew he had taken the desperate “I love you.” wrong. He has even tried to bring it up again, but the rebuttal had been swift and almost shocking in its harshness and denial. 

He slept on the couch that night, tossing and turning through the nightmares of his past. A past that he really didn't understand or completely know. Only one person did.

He knew the retirement was a mistake as soon as a picture was sent of a beautiful planet and its surrounding moons. The look of outright hunger that had been in those grey eyes that night as he had looked up at the twinkling stars in their backyard. 

The pulsing blue crystal that had sent Atlas miles away into rumbles and electronic blips and beeps. He was still the only person who could get her to behave and transform. She was waiting for the return of her captain. 

Messages had been few and far between as he had been soaring further into space with the Blades in their relief efforts. The excitement and smiles appearing with each one that had announced its arrival with a special tone from the data pad. Even he didn't have one of those.

Then the messages had suddenly stopped, and they were avoided like the plague. Each message remaining unseen and unanswered since the engagement announcement eight months ago.

He had seen the scathing disapproval sent his way from the others during the party. The feigned happiness. Even they had known the truth. Whether they had confronted him about it, he didn’t know.

He had seen the devastation as he had walked from the room. Turning his back on everyone. 

The smile falling into confusion as he tried to follow, calling his name with an outstretched human hand.

But, he blinked out of existence with one grab on soft fur. Minutes later a Mamora ship was blasting unauthorized into space.

The nightmares changed that night when the questioning messages went unread and unanswered.

They weren't the gladiator ring. They weren't of his seeming endless days in the astral plane. They were of him.

He should have called it off.

Surprisingly, he had shown up for the wedding two weeks ago. But, he had barely spoken a word. Not even to deliver the best man speech.

Only to slip out again after a soft choked, “Congratulations.” Disappearing yet again into the vastness of space.

He hadn't touched him since their wedding night. Barely reacting even then. He wondered now if that choked off sound should have been a name that wasn’t his. He went to bed alone for the rest of the trip. They had only been home three days.

The media was going to have a field day.

He slid the documents under the letter and a shining now meaningless gold band.

“ ~~Dear Tak~~ ”

“Dear Shiro,”


	2. Forest for the Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events from Shiro's perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Shiro is on the astral plane, his thoughts are jumbled. They're going to jump around a little on purpose.

He was back in the astral plane. He recognized the quiet hum in the back of his head.

He was reconnected again to Black. Allowing him to see and hear events from wherever she had gone in the universe.

It wasn’t the first time she had allowed him to see Keith.

The first had shocked him on the night of his engagement when the view had solidified.

Keith was staring at a wide distant butte on what must have been Diabazaal as it’s small sun set and turned the sky an even deeper reddish purple. Tear tracks were evident down his cheeks. The wolf was curled at his side, licking his hand to try and comfort him.

Soft footfalls had him turning to watch Krolia approach. Kneeling next to Keith, she stroked the hair on his head. Keith broke into sobs and lurched into her arms. The data pad to his right beeped, and he cried harder.

Only pain came through the bond. Black had roared in what could only be sorrow. He hadn’t understood then what she had been trying to show him.

Keith stopped answering his messages. Didn’t even open them. The sudden loss of communication had been jarring.

Krolia had been who sent his agreement to be his best man.

The nightmares shocking him awake as Keith walked away, broken and in tears. Never turning back, even as he screamed, unable to move his feet, for him not to leave. His prosthetic dead and useless on the ground.

Many times finding his arm outstretched in the darkness, and once his prosthetic slammed through the drywall as he had semi-consciously sent it careening across the room after forgetting to power it off for the night.

Yet, he knew he had been the first to start pulling away. He had so much regret for the strain in their friendship, but he had no idea how to repair the damage with Keith avoiding him at every turn.

His memory providing every misstep he had taken. Each recalled “ _Paladin_ ” making him wince.

The loss of a chance before they launched. He heard from Lance Keith had been alone with Black, the wolf, and the sunset.

He kicked himself repeatedly for that. They could have gone off on that long overdue race. Finally talked about _everything_ that needed to be.

Then his screw up on Clear Day. A perfect opportunity, and he wasted it. How the chanting and cheering hadn't triggered his PTSD, he had no idea. Until he remembered he had looked at Keith in the crowd and instantly calmed. His tether anchoring him to shore before he was swept away.

He should have brushed off the not so subtle advances then. But, he gave in. Seeking a willing partner to slake a thirst that hadn't been quenched since before Kerberos.

He wondered briefly if that relief could have been sought elsewhere. From where he had really yearned for it to come from.

His total body seizing when Keith’s life was threatened. He almost blurted out his true feelings then. Only for Acxa to come to the rescue first.

He had yet again failed. Missed finally returning the many times Keith had brought him back from the brink. Saved _him_ for a change.

“As many times as it takes.”

“We saved each other.” Although that was now a huge farce.

He missed his best friend.

He knew he should have called it off. But, he was a man of his word, and he did have affection for his fiancé. He thought he loved him. Yet, his heart ached for another with each pump.

The resounding “You're my brother.” from the clone's memories made him lose all hope of anything more between them.

He fiancé must have known yet kept quiet, except once. He had fired back wounded and scared at the question about the meaning of the “I love you.”

His words ineffective in breaking through the trauma he faced nightly. He just didn’t know or understand having only joined the battles near the end of the war.

The feel of a weapon searing or cutting through your flesh, or someone else's. Watching as your own caused damage with a hand that was yours and yet not, causing a scar on a cherished face.

He had been safe behind a _console_ , not as affected by the ultimate loss they had at the end. The loss of the heart of Voltron as she had walked away to her fate.

They had won, but the taste of victory was bitter still to this day. He flinched each time he saw her statue.

He hadn't had a full night's sleep since he had crashed at Matt's over a year ago after three rounds of Monsters and Mana with the others.

Only to wake up curled against Keith with him tucked tightly under his chin, tiny puffs of air ghosting across his neck, sending him into shivers and thoughts he shouldn't have been having.

He should have called it off then.

He mentally hollered and begged for him to break it off, but the media had already latched on in a frenzy, as the proposal had been recorded by a hidden reporter and broadcasted to the masses.

The invitations were sent. He was locked in a prison without a method of escape. Trapped back into a clamoring arena of his own making. Only this time the chant was “ _Hero_ ” instead of “ _Champion_.”

Then the others had gang attacked him before the engagement party asking, “What the hell are you thinking?”

He had run. Run away from their accusations and questions, but he had seen their looks of disapproval and disappointment.

Only to watch later as Keith turned and walked away. His nightmares made real.

The wolf had zapped him away. Away from his side and he could only give a silent internal cry of agony.

He tried to stop the departure, but his authority was gone due to his retirement – a foolish decision since his heart still yearned for the stars. The gentle touches and sense of loss from Atlas poking at him daily in her own pining for adventure and outer space.

He had taken to the skies without clearance anyway. His frantic messages unviewed and without answer as the ship sailed away further and further.

The last astral connection had almost destroyed him as he watched Keith scream and sob into his pillow, still in his white tux. Emotions blaring through the shared bond she opened for him to feel.

Watched as he arched back in a scream of what could only have been his name as he had seen it so many times before formed by those lips.

The others had run into the room and wrapped him in their arms in a huge cuddle pile as he continued to cry. Chanting his name over and over like a mantra.

He knew then he had made the greatest mistake of his life.

Now he understood.

Keith hadn't just loved him. He was _in_ love with him and they had both been too afraid to come clean. He hadn't seen the forest for the trees because he had been too blinded by his own emotions.

Images and memories surfaced of looks that should have been _blatant_ messages he had _missed_ and lost in translation.

A harsh puff of lion breath and a hard tail swat to the face were a rebuke for breaking the heart of her third paladin.

He collapsed to his knees before yelling in agony into the endless void in front of him.

Her rough tongue set to work on his hair, making it stick up in every direction as she tried to soothe his shattered being. He may not pilot her anymore, but she still held claim to him.

But it was too late as she finally cut the connection and he jerked awake from his uneasy doze on the plane for his _honeymoon_.

Choking on his name as he burst into tears, inconsolable as he realized the destruction he had wrought by simply not facing Keith with the truth.

Damage to himself.

Damage to his now _husband_.

And the unforgivable damage to Keith. Yet again causing him pain. This time by his _own_ making.

Unexpected sounds of combat and firing weaponry jerked him back to the present and turned the air into a deadly orchestra.

In front of him, Kolivan gave a grunt as a blast struck him in the shoulder. Keith looked haggard, but steadfast in his resolution to fight, taking aim at the approaching pirates that had been mercilessly attacking the planet.

He tried to strike the assassin bearing down unseen from behind, but his prosthetic slid ghostlike through the large Galra.

“ _Look out! Keith!_ ”

He could only watch helplessly as the blade struck deep and twisted. The scream of pain was echoed by his own as Keith slowly crumpled to the ground.

The roar in both his head and through the battlefield was loud and furious.

Materializing in thin air, teleporting from the unknown, the lion fired its weapons at the attackers.

Scrambling in panic, they fled as fast as they could, but to no avail. Black was livid and out for blood.

The lion moans of pain and sorrow bled into his mind.

He ran. “ _Keith!_ ”

The knife was still embedded. Tears blinded his vision as he stumbled down beside him. “ _Keith, answer me. Please! Keith!_ ” His hand passed through and he could only cry in frustration at his inability to help.

Kolivan snarled as he brought an end to the attacker before he too raced to Keith.

He was forced back and away, his braid whipping and snapping in the gust, as Black returned. Landing, she lowered her head to gently scoop up Keith into her jaws.

“ _What are you doing? He needs a healing pod!_ ” The large maw closed around Keith. Kolivan was also yelling, confused.

He only received a small chuff in answer before the lion winked out of existence and the connection severed.

He bolted upright in the bed. “Keith!”

Snagging his glasses and his powering up prosthetic, he stumbled out of the bedroom in a panic, still kicking at the sheet twisted around his ankles. “I need to get to the Garrison. Now!”

Atlas was humming in his head, already firing up systems and preparing for launch as soon as he had made the connection through the crystal. She would fly wherever he needed her to go.

No answer. The silence of the house almost echoed.

Glancing around the room, a shine of gold caught his eye on the coffee table.

Stepping to the sofa, he saw the ring and a hand written letter. Below was a stack of legal mumbo jumbo he didn’t have the mental faculties to process at that moment.

“ ~~Dear Tak~~ "

“Dear Shiro,”

He already knew what he would read, and it was a startling relief as part of the weight from this disaster lifted off his shoulders.

Now things could be fixed as they should have been to begin with.

If Keith survived.

He needed to find him. He grabbed it all under his human arm.

Atlas was all systems go.

He tripped out the door on the ridiculous mat he secretly despised, keys in hand before the warm concrete underneath his feet registered in his brain. He was shirtless and shoeless in the driveway.

Spinning, he raced back into the house to get dressed in the first thing he grabbed out of the closet.

If that just so happened to be his uniform, so much the better.


	3. Pipe Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving at his sister's house after leaving the letter, and walking away from Shiro despite the pain it brought, he continues his tale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I don't own VLD, though I wish I did. Season 8 would not have been as horrible as it was. Allura would be _alive,_ Lotor would have been redeemed, and Sheith would have been the end scene getting married.

“Hiya, Sis.”

She leaned on the door frame, observing his tight fake smile and the overstuffed bag on his shoulder. “I warn...”

He cut her off. “Just don't. _Please._ I know I did this to myself. Can I come in?”

She backed away and led him into the living room where he dropped the bag along the wall. “Want a drink? Water? Tea? Scotch?”

“No, thank you.” He sank onto the sofa, her cat hissing at him before jumping down, and hid his face in his hands. “I knew…I _knew_ this was a mistake. I should have let him go and I didn't. I didn’t listen to you and I should have. If mom was still alive, she'd punch me. Maybe she would have stopped this mess before it went this far.”

“Maybe. Who knows.” She shook her head as she sat in the recliner across from him. “A little too late now.”

“I know it is. But, I can do the right thing _now_ and set him free.”

“Is this about what we discussed after the announcement?”

She watched as he drew a shuddering breath, “Yes.”

“The black paladin?”

“Yes. God, Sis, the way he talked about Keith.” He sighed before looking at her, lost and heartbroken. “How excited he got when Keith called, messaged, or came to Earth. He lit up _every time_. As soon as he left for his next mission, that happiness…just faded away. I could never make him _that_ happy. Not even _once._

Then the retirement happened. He almost immediately started getting antsy. He regrets that big time, but he never admitted it to _me._ I overheard him telling Keith, though. He told him and not me, Sis.”

“Ouch. That must have stung.”

“At the time, I was furious and was about to confront him until I saw his face around the corner. He didn’t notice me at the door, but I think Keith did. He wanted the stars and it showed. I bet he'll be reinstated before the end of the _week,_ and Atlas will be several galaxies into space.

He offered to let him join them on a relief mission, but…he turned it down. I could tell he didn’t want to, though. But he did out of obligation to me. I had made plans for us.

God, I always made the plans. He didn’t even help with setting up the wedding. I did everything from the decorations to the cake. The only thing he did was a tearful message to Keith asking him to be his best man. I don't think he wanted to ask. I heard the unspoken “Help me. Save me again.” in that message, but Keith never viewed it.

He wanted _out,_ but I was too stubborn and over the moon. And he was too good of a man to back out. It gave me hope that maybe he really did _love_ me. I'm a fool.

Why is he so _good,_ Sis? The Golden Boy. Sometimes I wish he had just cheated on me, so this would have been over sooner. It would have hurt less, I think. But, Tak…” He choked on the name. “Shiro’s _too_ good to do that.”

“Yes, he is.”

“The nightmares always got worse after Keith left. _Always._ Then he stopped messaging completely after the broadcasted proposal and things really went to shit. He was screaming and crying for Keith in his sleep sounding so…broken. _Lost._

He relived their battle, the clone's fight with Keith, nightly. Begging him to let go and save himself. That he wasn’t worthy of Keith. Maybe that's why he never approached him, now that I think about it.

They didn't need a wedding to… They _belong_ together. Call it fate. Call it destiny. Keith brought him back to _life,_ Sis. To _life."_

_"_ I didn't know that. You never told me."

"He almost died _again_ when Allura put his consciousness in the clone's body. It wasn't Allura's alchemy that saved him. Not really anyway. It was _Keith._  He remembers _dreaming_ about Keith. Wow, that should have been a kick to his own ass. And, it should have been one to mine when he told me the story.

He was never really mine to begin with, Sis. I know that now, and I’m a fool for letting this happen. I set myself up and I have no one else to blame except the frenzied media.

It exploded. It went universal. You know this. It was broadcast on ever planet possible. We both got…trapped into it. The Captain of the Atlas, a hero of the universe, the _“Champion"_ getting married. It went out of our hands so fast. What a joke this turned out to be.”

“You are both dumb to let it get this far.”

“We just got back from the honeymoon and I’m already at a lawyer’s office to draw up the necessary papers. I’m so stupid. Two _weeks_ and I'm getting an annulment.”

“An annulment? Not a divorce?”

He laughed bitterly. “He didn’t use his real signature on the marriage certificate. I questioned it after he signed the data pad, but he wouldn’t give me an answer.

Like he wanted it to be null and void. An easy escape. It was already _flagged_ in the system as suspect when it compared his signature on other digital forms. The lawyer was stunned when he saw that.”

“So, you’re not even legally married?”

“Nope. All he needs is to sign a few papers and it's over. Like it never even happened. Which…it _didn't._ Not really.”

“Oh, Bubba." She left the seat and sat next to him on the sofa, pulling him into her. “I’m sorry. Why not try? You love him.”

“I…I thought I did. I know I do, or this wouldn't _hurt_ so much. But, I think it was more the _idea_ of him. _Me._ Little nobody _me_ managed to snag the attention of Captain Takahashi Shirogane. I… I can't do this to him or to myself. I need to let him go. Trying to keep him isn't fair to either of us.”

“No, it's not. You deserve someone that loves you, and only you, Bubba.” She pulled him into a one arm hug as he started crying.

“I knew, Sis. I knew and I just held as tightly as I could onto a pipe dream. Did I ever tell you he hesitated on answering? It took him almost three minutes to say “Yes.” after looking up into the night sky with… I can’t even describe the face he made. I almost told him to think about it instead if the restaurant hadn’t exploded in cheers and we noticed the reporter. If only he hadn’t _been_ there.”

“If only.”

"I'll take that scotch now."

"Okay. I'll go get it. You just relax."

A few minutes later she watched as he swirled the liquor in the glass before taking a sip. “I left him a letter.”

“You did?”

“Yeah.”

“What did it say?”

“I don’t remember exactly. I wrote it really fast because I was afraid he'd wake up from his nightmare and feel obligated to try and make this work. Drag it out when…it just would have ended the same way. But, I think I wrote…

“Dear Shiro,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where this story is really going. I'm kind of winging it as I write it. I hope that's okay with you all. 
> 
> My NSFW Twitter is [LetDreamsComeTrue](https://twitter.com/true_let?s=09)
> 
> P.S. Let's see who's reading this. A surprise reveal here. I'm also the writer of a certain demon cat series in a different fandom...


	4. Mischievous Little...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro arrives at the Garrison to a few surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I don't own VLD, dammit. It would NOT have ended that way if I did.
> 
> **Still salty.

“Shiro!” Pidge was running across the parking lot toward him. “What was that? I felt Green echoing pain. I haven't felt her since she left. Then dad called and said Atlas was gearing up for launch. I came straight here.”

They both met in a crosswalk and kept jogging for the main door. She noticed the small stack of papers under his arm. “Keith’s hurt.”

“How do you know that? And you’re in uniform?”

“Black. She showed me.” He ignored the second question.

“She can do that?”

“I think it’s just me because I was with her so long on the astral plane.”

“Well, that makes sense, I guess.”

A man stepped out of the small room at the sounds of their approach. “Whoa! No running!”

“Try and stop me, lieutenant.”

The man's face dropped as he recognized the two people running past him. He snapped to attention and threw a fast salute. “No, _sir.”_

“Guys!” Hunk was running toward them from the direction of the kitchen.

“Hunk!

“Wait for me!”

“Pidge, summon the MFE's. We may need them out there."

“Why?”

“The Galra rogues are still pirating. They’re who went after Keith and Kolivan. I think they ambushed them. I missed the start of the fight, so I don't really know.”

“On it. Don’t let me run into anything.” She pulled her holopad out of the bag slung over her shoulder and started tapping.

Iverson met them at the door to his office. “Care to explain why she's pretty much airborne already, Shirogane?”

“Keith is injured and there's a fleet of Galra pirate ships targeting smaller planets that don’t have the defenses to hold them off.”

“So you're here to go off leave of absence to take them on? And, how do you know this? Kogane?”

Shiro's jaw dropped as they were let into the room. “Leave of… What? I resigned.”

“Could have fooled me, Captain.”

“Huh?”

“You completed the forms. You should know.”

“I did not.”

Iverson sat in his chair and spun his holopad across the desk. “Really? I see otherwise.”

Shiro stared down, dumbstruck, at the displayed form. “Wh… I don’t understand. I…I resigned.”

“Not according to this. We were just waiting for you to come back. I was about to call you for an update, but here you are.”

Musical humming sounded in his head, almost like laughter. “Oh. _Oh.”_ He started laughing with her. “You mischievous little…”

“Shiro?” Pidge was looking at him with her eyebrow raised.

“She changed it. Atlas must have hacked the system and changed the forms after I electronically filled them out.”

“Go, Atlas.” Hunk laughed.

“That also explains…” His eyes widened. “You... _Quiznak,_ you did that, too, didn’t you?”

The musical laughter started up again.

“Huh? What else did she do?”

“I’ll explain later. How fast can I get her prepped? Food? Water?”

“As soon as she started testing her thrusters, we knew something was up and started loading her. She should be set for a skeleton crew in about an hour.”

His smile fell. “I'll need to contact Kolivan to find out where he is exactly. He was with Keith when Black took off with him.”

“Whoa. Hold up. _Black_ took Keith? Why? We haven't seen or felt them in months. Is this why Yellow practically roared in my head?”

“Keith’s badly injured, Hunk. He was stabbed in the back. I…I couldn't stop it. I wasn't really there and I couldn’t do a _thing._ I couldn't protect Keith. He might be de…Oh, quiznak.” He covered his face as tears threatened to fall.

“Shiro, if you're that connected to Black, you’d know if he was…”

“That's the only thing keeping me sane right now.”

“How do you know Kogane is injured?”

“Black…Black showed me. She's been showing me a lot of things recently about Keith.” He looked at Pidge and Hunk and wiped at the tears.

Pidge gasped, “You know, don’t you? You know now that Keith…”

“Why didn't you guys _tell_ me I was hurting him? That I was making a very big mistake. I never meant to… This is all _my_ fault. I should have _been there_ at his side this entire time. Why didn't I _see_ it?”

“It wasn’t our right to tell you, Shiro.” Pidge dig the toe of her shoe into the carpet.

“He asked us, made us promise, not to tell you.”

“I guess you really do need those glasses.”

“Excuse me?” He turned to find Iverson staring him down.

“You’re just now figuring out Kogane loves you? I figured that out about two hours after you all returned to Earth.”

“Even _you_ knew?”

“The entire Garrison knew. We all saw how he looked at you.” Iverson crossed his arms and leaned on the desk. “I was about to order to have your head checked when you sprung that engagement crap. I had to threaten Veronica with a court-martial to keep her quiet. She cussed up a storm when that feed came over the airways.

Then the leave request was sent in. I lost track of how many interviews the media tried to drag me through.” He shuddered at the memory.

“I'm…sorry?”

He waved his hand in the air. “Water under the bridge. I just need your signature here and here to reinstate you.” He pointed at two boxes on the screen.

Shiro finally sat down and set the paperwork down on the desk before picking up the stylus.

Pidge and Hunk both noticed the handwritten note on top of the stack. They knew they shouldn’t, as it was probably personal, but they both leaned over to read it.

“ ~~Dear Tak~~ ”

“Dear Shiro,”


	5. A New War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith wakes up to discover a new war is being fought to save all realities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Same disclaimers as before.
> 
> **I was going to hold this chapter off, but this seemed like a good place to start the official plot.
> 
> ***Sorry the chapters are so short. I'm writing this a little at a time.

They were still talking quietly when the house started to shake.

“An earthquake?”

“Doubt it.” He had a suspicion. He rushed to the window. She was already a disappearing dot in the sky. “Well, that was fast.”

“It's not an attack, is it?” She cowered into the sofa, her experiences in the slave camps flashing through her memory.

“No. He's rediscovering the stars. Atlas just took off.”

She visibly relaxed. “Oh.”

***

He woke with a groan of lingering pain.The face in front of his was familiar and yet not in his still blurry vision. "He's awake.” 

“Pidge?”

“Yup. Well…sort of.”

“Huh?” He rubbed at his eyes before reopening them. He gaped at the figure in front of him. “What the…?”

“If your organs weren't a little different from a human's…the injury would have killed you. Being half-Galran saved your life.”

“Keith. Thank goodness. You had us quite worried.”

The approaching voice sent his spine straight before he leaned out of the healing pod. “A… _Allura_?!”

She giggled as he practically tackled her in a hug, wrapping her arms just as tightly around him. “Hello, Keith.”

“How? How is this possible?”

“Get cleaned up and we'll explain once you’re ready.”

The much needed shower helped wash away the lingering dizziness and fatigue from his stint in the healing pod. The paladin armor he found once he exited the bathroom was the same and yet not. It fit perfectly.

Following voices, he stopped dead in the doorway to the large room. “What the quiznak?”

They were all there. Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Allura.

 _Several_ of them, all wearing coordinating armor.

There were even a few of _him_ around the room with varying characteristics. Two wearing jewelry that drew his attention and curiosity. One a decorative necklace and the other a bright jeweled armband around his arm over their armor.

They all turned to him with varying degrees of curiosity.

“And the last wakes up.” It’s a different Pidge than the one he saw in the medical suite. This one with colorful feathers and horizontally slit pupils.

“Sit down, Keith. We have a lot to discuss now that you’re awake.” _His_ Allura led him toward an open seat before joining the other varying in appearance Allura and Bob standing at the front of the room.

“Most of you know why you’re here.”

“We can not stress enough how important this is. More realities are falling daily. Many of you have already seen this before we brought you here.”

“She's increasing her attacks with every corrupted Voltron.”

Bob finally spoke, “The evil Allura must be stopped before she can take any more control.”

“Say _what_ now?” He leaned forward in his seat. A few more around the room also looked stunned.

“We unfortunately showed her how to cross realities and now she's seeking to rule them _all.”_

“So we’ve brought the best paladins and the lions here for safety. With our combined strength and Bob, we have been able to keep her from reaching the apex, but if she gains any more power, that protection may fail.”

“If it does, she will have access to every reality in existence.”

“We have six uncorrupted Voltron and thirty pilots.”

“We're hoping it is enough.”

“We’ve been cycling through trying to find which pilots to pair together to create the best combination. The only thing that will not change is each Keith will be in a black lion.”

“You will need to bond with your new lion as quickly as you can.”

“Unfortunately if your own lion has been corrupted, this may be difficult as your lion may try to fight the new bond.”

“And that will most likely be painful, so be prepared.”

“You can’t let yourself fail now.”

“Are there any questions?” Bob crossed all of his arms.

He seemed to be the only one with any, as he was the last to arrive. “Is this why the lions left?”

Bob nodded with a, “Yes.”

“That was months ago. Why now?”

His reality's Allura answered, “You were refusing the bond because you thought she was gone for good. Black was only able to reconnect with you after you were injured to bring you here.”

“Plus, her connection is…split. We had difficulty deciding if we should retrieve you or… She calls to both of you.”

“Your reality's black lion is the only one present that didn’t have _you_ as her original pilot.”

“Oh.”

_Shiro._

“The top priority right now is to make those connections. After you do so, you must form as a team as quickly as possible. This will be odd, but we know you all can do it.”

“As we point to you, please go to each bay we direct you to. A droid bot will lead you to your respective lion.”

His reality’s Allura pointed to him, and then followed him toward the directed bay.

“You’re with me?”

“Yes. We've already have established connections and worked as a team. This was the logical choice.”

Seeing Black, his lion, sent him running. Her eyes lit up as she bent down to greet him. The bond lit up warmly in the back of his mind with a gentle caress now that he knew it still existed. It was a homecoming that brought him to tears.

Allura walked to Blue to pat her.

A Lance that looked almost the same was standing in front of Yellow. The only difference was the obvious Altean ears, bluish-green hair, and shining face markings as he focused on her. “Wait. Why isn't he in Red?”

“This Lance's personality works best with her.”

The Pidge he met upon awakening was in front of Red. A Balmeran Hunk stood beside Green.

This was going to take some getting used to.

The scream that ripped from Pidge sent him and the rest whirling on their feet, his new blade already extending in his hand.

“Oh no. Her lion is fighting the bond. It's corrupted.”

“Corrupted?”

“The Allura we're facing has found a way to turn the lions evil. Their quintessence impure. She's using them and their mind controlled pilots to take over realities one by one.”

“How many?”

“Eight and climbing.”

“Holy… Eight evil Voltrons?!”

“They’re not at full strength due to the tampering. We should be able to push them back with just us six teams.”

Another scream ripped out of Pidge from where she had curled on the ground. “Can we help her? We already have our connections.”

“We can try.”

Black opened her mouth and the hatch slid open. Scrambling inside, he sat down in the pilot's chair. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself for whatever he needed to do to help this Pidge.

As he sank back into the seat, he felt a brush across his senses. One that wasn't Black. He knew now what and who it was.

_“Shiro?”_

_“Are you all right? I saw you stabbed in the back.”_

They had never conversed like this before. They didn’t know they _could._

_“I'm fine. Sorry, but I need her to shut your side of the bond down for a while. I need to focus on something. Talk in a few, okay? You need a heads up and fast.”_

He felt Shiro's worry spike before, _“Okay.”_

An image briefly filled his mind before it disappeared as the connection severed. All he saw was a blurry letter written in an unfamiliar hand.

“ ~~Dear Tak~~ "

“Dear Shiro,”

He shook his thoughts away and centered himself.

He felt the hum of Hunk and Lance with their new bonds. Their determination to also help Pidge. Their unique touch sending more curiosity about his “new” team through his mind.

“Let's do this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last you'll see of He-who-shall-not-be-named unless I change my mind somewhere down the line.
> 
> Comments are food for the soul. ^_^


	6. Constants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith learns some truths. Shiro takes command.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Same disclaimers as before.

Pidge's startled cry jerked Shiro back into his seat from where he had just spoken with Keith.

“Why? Why did she…” She slumped into her chair, tears pooling in her eyes.

“Pidge?”

“I felt Green. Sorrow. Apology. Then, the connection just…disappeared.”

“Yellow, too. One second and then...nothing.” Hunk stared out the viewport.

“You lost your connection to your lions?”

“Completely.”

“Gone. They’re gone.”

“What's happening? I saw Keith in Black. I felt him. He's angry. And, I think a little afraid. Of what, I don't know yet. He had to stop our connection to do something.”

“You can talk to Keith?”

“Didn't know I could. Black's never let us do it until now.”

The screen flashed before Lance appeared in front of them. “Guys.” The look on his face was pure devastation. “Red just…”

“Same here."

“First Allura and now Red. I couldn’t feel her, but I could _feel_ her if that makes sense. Now there's…nothing.”

“We're trying to track down Keith. He's with Black. He knows what's going on, I think.”

“Is that why you’re on the Atlas?”

“Yes.”

“I thought… You retired, didn't you?”

“It seems my paperwork was filed as an extended leave of absence.”

“Oh.”

“We're heading toward Diabazaal. Kolivan must be too far out for our systems to reach at the moment. He was the last with Keith when Black showed up to save him.”

“Coran and I will meet up with you there.”

*****

What felt like hours later, Keith stumbled out of Black. She gave a tired chuff in his head.

“I feel like I’ve been emulsified.” The Altean Lance rubbed at his forehead, leaning on Yellow. Keith gave a sympathetic groan as his own pain from their battle with the corrupted lion seared through his skull.

The poor lion had struggled, not understanding why her paladin was trying to forcefully sever their bond. It took every bit of their combined effort.

“She’s hurting. I hurt her.” Pidge cried on the floor, banging her fist off the concrete. Small cracks appeared and he realized this Pidge carried strength for her tiny size. She barely reached his bellybutton, but could probably throw him across the room with ease.

Allura knelt next to her and pulled her into her arms. “You did what you needed to. Your mind would have been next. You would have been her puppet on a string.”

“She will compel her to take another paladin.”

“And that is what makes them weak. The lions are not choosing their pilots. She is. And that is our advantage.”

“We'll free her.” The Balmeran Hunk rested next to Green, massaging his aching joints. “You'll get her back. We'll stop the evil Allura. All of us.”

“We have to, or everything we know will fall.” Pidge stood back up on shaky legs with Allura's help and looked up at her new lion. “This was originally your lion, wasn't it? I can feel her care for you.”

He walked to Red and she knelt to nuzzle him with her muzzle. He lightly laughed as he palmed the cool metal. “Yes, she was. Shiro was Black's paladin.”

“Shiro?” She looked at him, stunned.

“You know Shiro? I mean a Shiro.” This was still confusing.

“He lead the first squadrons along with us against the invaders. They… She specifically aimed at him. He didn't…” She shook her head before a look crossed her face. “I never want to hear my Keith scream like that again. His loss made it too easy for Empress Allura to seize control of his mind.” Her face turned to granite as she grit, “She will pay for this.”

“He's…”

“Yes. And they were just mated, too, not even a month before.”

“Mated?”

“In our universe, it’s similar to… a human marriage like Sam and Colleen Holt.” Allura wouldn’t meet his eyes. “There are things that happen in every reality, Keith. Must happen. The Ovalians discover the original method of space travel and share it with the universe. The Eronials discover quintessence. The lions are created. Honerva must become Haggar. Your Earth's extinction of its giant creatures.”

“Giant creatures? You mean the dinosaurs?”

“If that is what they are called, then yes. Each reality is different and yet similar. In Pidge’s reality, Earth’s mass extinction was of canine-like creatures. In Hunk's it was the oceans that lost their fertility. It's barren there. They are constants that hold the realities to the nexus.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Keith. Please, understand we have no idea what happened in our reality. I wanted to come back and fix it, but I had to remain here as Empress Allura was making her first move right here at the nexus. We managed to cast her back, but she already had what she needed.”

“What are you saying? What needed fixed?”

“You and Shiro. In every reality, you two being together is another constant. If any condition fails… our reality is fading even now from the nexus.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Keith.”

“We'll…we'll figure that out later.” His mind was reeling, making the pain worse in his head. “We have an evil empress to stop first. Let me warn Shiro to get our reality ready in case she tries to strike there.”

“She will target him, Keith, to get at you."

“And I'll get him back. As many times as it takes.”

*****

The bridge lights were dimming for the night cycle when he felt the humm of the connection.

“They’re back. Pidge, take the helm. I can feel pain. Something happened.”

“On it.”

Closing his eyes, he sank back into his chair and focused.

_“Keith. What's going on? Why are you hurt?”_

_“I’m not hurt. Just…aching. We have a problem. A big one.”_

_“Tell me.”_

_“Where to start? Allura's alive.”_

_“What?!”_

_“She’s here at the nexus with several Allura and paladins.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Remember that evil Empress Allura? She’s taking over realities one by one using corrupted Voltrons from realities she's conquered. She has eight so far under her control and who knows what else. We're going to stop her.”_

_“Is that why the lions broke from the others?”_

_“They broke… Oh man. I didn’t know they had to do that. They made connections with…their counterparts? I don’t know how to explain it, except they bonded with another Pidge, Lance, and Hunk from other realities.”_

A vision of a shorter Pidge with shimmery scales briefly flashed from Black's perspective, standing next to Allura and Keith.

_“Oh wow. She's so adorable.”_

_“Feisty and strong, too.”_

He felt reluctance.

_"You're not telling me something."_

_“There's.. something else, but...”_

Hope? Fear. Rejection? Abandonment. The last one made him wince. He never meant to cause Keith pain. Hindsight is 20/20 and blinding. He needed to make this right again somehow.

_“Keith, what's wrong?”_

_“I… Just…Whatever we are, I need you to focus. Keep me close. Please. I know we've been distant, but…”_ That sent loss and hurt through the link. He felt his fists tighten at his own idiocy.  _“Whatever it takes. I’m not giving up. Not with what I know now.”_ Determination. Joy. _“I’ll explain later. Get ready. She may try to attack there, but you need to stay back if she does.”_

_“Why?”_

_“She's targeting all Shiro's first. She may think it will work this time, but it won't. She doesn't know me at all.”_

Burning fire and anger. Revenge? He couldn’t read the last emotion very well.

 _“What?”_ The connection wavered as more pain and exhaustion came across. _“Why are you in pain?”_

_“We just fought to break a corrupted bond for Pidge. It hurt like a bitch. Now talking to you…”_

_“Isn't helping. Get some rest. I have work to do. We'll talk later when you feel better.”_

_“Okay.”_

The connection faded and he blinked his eyes open. He spoke words he never thought he would ever have to say. Especially after his supposed ‘retirement.’

“Atlas, command override all available channels in all nearby sectors. Authorization S-H-I-R-0-3-9-7.”

Pidge whirled, mouth agape. “Shiro?”

Screens popped up around the room and alarms started blaring, shocking Hunk away from his console. More alarms blared from the screens.

“This is Captain Takahashi Shirogane of the Coalition ship Atlas. All available Coalition personnel across the universe is hereby under my command under the Voltron Coalition Treaty by sub article C-11. This is not a drill. All worlds prepare for battle. All available weaponry and staff report to Diabazaal as soon as possible. All teleduvs open for mass transit effective immediately. All MFE's report to the bridge. Again, this is not a drill. All available Coalition personnel report to Diabazaal. Krolia, we're on our way.”

“Understood.” Her voice spoke from a nearby screen. “We'll have a place prepared. Teleduvs are opening for arrivals as we speak. Does this have something to do with my son? Kolivan has reported him seriously injured and missing with the Black Lion.”

Several gasps were heard around the room from varying screens as well as whispers about the lions.

“I’ll explain once we arrive and everyone assembles. Sound off. Atlas, mark them as they respond.”

One by one, the faces around the room began listing off their status and response.

“Shiro, what’s going on? You just took command of every fleet in the Coalition.”

“Pidge, Hunk, do what you can to get Atlas ready for a mass assault.”

“Of what?”

“Corrupted Voltron lions. Forty of them if she comes here.”

“Eight Voltrons. With who?”

“Empress Allura. She'll be heading straight for us.”

Under his hand pressed to the stack of paperwork on the console, the still unread handwritten letter wrinkled.

“Dear Shiro,”


End file.
